So, when I went to India in the fall, I knew I wanted to start reading again. I got away from it while working for Toyota and didn't try too hard to find books to read. However, I went to Joseph Beth and picked up The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Blue Boy, both of which I loved. I also read and enjoyed the second in the Millenium Trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire in the course of our trip.
Anyway, after that, I wanted to go back to something classic, and picked up Catcher In The Rye at the library. I went into the book having no previous notions about the plot. It's a "classic" or so I've heard, but it was nothing like I could have expected. Basically, it's the second book I've read in the last few months that is from the POV of a young person (Blue Boy was from the perspective of a 12-year old Indian boy), so that was interesting. I won't spoil anything about it, but the thing that was cool about this book is that it was written decades ago, but is really timeless since I was able to relate to the feelings of the main character, Holden Caulfield. He gets frustrated at the way people act, isn't sure of what to do with his life, but he is definitely passionate about life. He's a kid who has jumped from school to school because he hasn't applied himself, though he has the ability to succeed. That point really stuck with me, so I would say that I enjoyed the book. It was well written in the sense that it really captured the thought process of an adolescent boy. It wasn't necessarily a book that caught me up in the plotlines, or what eventually happens to Holden, but I was captivated by the thought processes of the main character and how he views the world.
I definitely recommend it if you haven't already read it. Next book on my list is The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. It's basically an in-depth look into why religion and belief in God is not possible. At this time in my life, I would consider myself an atheist, so I'm reading it to read something that contains extensive research into the subject. From the first couple of chapters, however, I think it is a book I'd recommend to everyone. We'll see how it goes!
Anyway, after that, I wanted to go back to something classic, and picked up Catcher In The Rye at the library. I went into the book having no previous notions about the plot. It's a "classic" or so I've heard, but it was nothing like I could have expected. Basically, it's the second book I've read in the last few months that is from the POV of a young person (Blue Boy was from the perspective of a 12-year old Indian boy), so that was interesting. I won't spoil anything about it, but the thing that was cool about this book is that it was written decades ago, but is really timeless since I was able to relate to the feelings of the main character, Holden Caulfield. He gets frustrated at the way people act, isn't sure of what to do with his life, but he is definitely passionate about life. He's a kid who has jumped from school to school because he hasn't applied himself, though he has the ability to succeed. That point really stuck with me, so I would say that I enjoyed the book. It was well written in the sense that it really captured the thought process of an adolescent boy. It wasn't necessarily a book that caught me up in the plotlines, or what eventually happens to Holden, but I was captivated by the thought processes of the main character and how he views the world.
I definitely recommend it if you haven't already read it. Next book on my list is The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. It's basically an in-depth look into why religion and belief in God is not possible. At this time in my life, I would consider myself an atheist, so I'm reading it to read something that contains extensive research into the subject. From the first couple of chapters, however, I think it is a book I'd recommend to everyone. We'll see how it goes!
